What If Qui Gon Never found Anakin Skywalker? Let’s explore the depths of this scenario in the video.
Anakin watches Watto argue with one of the customers. It is a tall man in brown robes who is trying in vain to haggle with the Toydarian. After a few minutes, he gives up and motions for his party to leave. Once they are gone, Anakin emerges from his hiding spot and follows after the group until Watto pulls him back.
Anakin: Who was that?
Watto: Eh? Him? Just some cheapskate customer. Nothing to worry about. Just focus on your work, boy.
Anakin watches the group disappear. Part of him wants to chase after them, but he decides to put his attention back on preparing for his next pod race.
A few days later, in the desolate Tatooine desert, Anakin and the other racers line up at the starting line. His heart pounds excitedly as the spectators cheer. There are crime lords, bounty hunters, and all types of miscreants mixed in with the fans.
But he only catches a glimpse of it as the signal for the race begins, and Anakin’s pod racer bursts out of the starting line. Although he doesn’t realize it, the Force guides him through the race, allowing him to catch up with the reigning champion, Sebulba.
With a daring move through a narrow canyon, Anakin surges past Sebulba. As the final stretch approaches, Anakin's heart soars as he crosses the finish line.
The cheers wash over Anakin like a tidal wave as he leaps out from his battered pod racer. He takes a moment to bask in the adulation before heading to his master. Not everyone is celebrating, though, as Watto is seen paying out a bet he lost. Anakin sees that it’s the same robed man he saw days ago. Before he can approach him, a hand pulls and shoves him aside. Anakin turns and sees the neighborhood bully, Greedo.
Greedo: Admit it, Skywalker. You cheated today, didn’t you?
Anakin: I did not. I won that race fair and square.
Greedo: What does a slave know about fairness?
Anakin snarls and tackles Greedo to the ground and begins to punch him. The Rodian boy is helpless before the attacks. This was supposed to be the best day of his life; he’s not going to let some bully ruin it for him.
A hand pulls him back and slaps him before he can punch again.
Watto: That's enough from you. Haven’t you embarrassed me enough? Do you know how much money I lost when you won?
The Toydarian continues to berate him until a shape appears behind him. Gardulla slithers over with her protocol droid beside her.
Droid: The Great Gardulla says it is you who has embarrassed yourself, Watto. Is this how a champion is to be treated? You are unfit to have a servant of such caliber under your service. Allow me to take him off your hands.
Watto: Are you crazy? I’m not selling this boy!
Droid: The Great Gardulla does not believe you have much of a choice, given how much money you owe.
Watto stares at them but can’t argue with them. He begins to negotiate the sale of Anakin, but Watto is only willing to sell Anakin and not his mother. Anakin pleads with Watto to let him stay with his mother, but the Toydarian refuses, requiring Gardulla’s guards to carry him from the store, screaming and kicking.
Once he is out, the Hutt slaps him.
Droid: The Great Gardulla says that your tears are nothing.
Anakin: It's not fair!
Droid: Fairness is a word that means nothing here. In the Outer Rim, only strength matters. Consider that your first lesson. You have strength, boy. But you must be willing to use it.
Anakin: What do you mean?
Droid: The Great Gardulla understands you have immense talent as a pod racer and a mechanic. That is why she bought you. If you are willing to use those skills for her, she is prepared to reward you. As a gesture of goodwill, the Great Gardulla will allow you to keep half of your prize money.
Anakin stares at them, biting his lip. It is not without merit either, and he seriously considers it. Working as a pod racer sounds exciting, even for a Hutt. More importantly, it will give him a chance to earn more money to free his mother.
Anakin accepts Gardulla’s offer and enters service in her household. His days are split between the grease-streaked confines of a makeshift mechanic's bay and the blistering heat of the pod racing circuit. It's a lot of work, but Anakin rises to become one of the top pod racers.
His mechanical prowess is unrivaled, and with each race, Anakin's legend grows in the underworld of Tatooine.
In return for his successes, Gardulla lavishes Anakin with credits, rare components to enhance his pod racer, and luxuries that were once beyond his wildest dreams. The money he doesn’t spend on these luxuries or save up to free his mother goes to completing his project, C-3PO.
While this project was originally just because of his love of mechanics and tinkering, Anakin realizes the droid has another use. One thing he learns while serving under Gardulla is that information is power, and this droid companion can go to places he can’t to gather information.